Best Practices

Working With a Layout and Design Service

By Annette Hogan and Ariel Servadio

It's easy to have big plans for too small a space, says Bob Scherzer, who's been a member of Gaylord Brothers' library design team for 20 years. Crowded workstation configurations might make navigation difficult for people with disabilities. The wrong arrangement of shelving may create line-of-sight problems for library staff. Designing a library is overwhelming, and that's why collaborating with a layout and design service is so helpful. After working on over a thousand library design projects, Bob and the design team know what mistakes to avoid, and will work with you to make the most of your redesign.

When you begin to work with a design service, you provide details about the space you have to work with—whether it's an entire library or just the children's area—through measurements or blueprints. You also tell them about your collection, patrons and staff, and how your library is used. Then you work together on a solution—throwing ideas back and forth about the best use of the space. All collaborating can be done remotely, through email or phone. You tell the design team what you're looking for, and they tell you what's feasible and how to go about achieving the perfect end result, all while factoring in important elements like ADA requirements.

Once you've settled on a design plan, the team creates a 3D rendering of the space as a CAD (Computer-Aided Design) image—complete with wood finishes, wall and carpet colors—so you can see exactly how this new layout will look in your library. You can view the rendering from many different angles. How does it look when you first enter the library? What is the view from behind the circulation desk? The images of these various perspectives all conveniently arrive in your email inbox as JPEG or PDF attachments.

If you don't like the new look, your design team goes back to the drawing board. By viewing these 3D renderings, you're able to see what works and what doesn't, before you place an order.

You can use these same CAD images to promote renovations to your library board or include them with a grant proposal. Silvia Nebel, the librarian at the Center for Officer Training at the Salvation Army College in Chicago, found this helpful. When using Gaylord's design team to replace a circulation desk, she was able to present the images of the 3D renderings to the committee that was voting on the project. «We wanted to see the renderings to double check that it would fit in the space,» she says. «The committee found the images useful, and they voted to purchase the desk.»

The design service also helps you figure how much your project will cost and how to stay within your budget. And working with a free service like Gaylord's allows you to devote all of your funds to the renovation, instead of consultation fees.

And that's important, because new trends in library design can pressure already strained budgets. Maybe you'd like to create some bookstore-like display areas for new book and media selections, to increase patron traffic. Or you'd like to give your library a welcoming, coffee shop atmosphere with a café area. Incorporating community spaces, separate areas for children and teens, eco-friendly furniture and larger media centers can be challenging. And while they all tackle similar issues, each library has different priorities and solutions.

One innovation that can take new library designs and renovations even further is mobile furniture. Bookshelves, work tables, chairs, display and media carts help libraries handle conflicting demands on space, while also allowing impromptu redesigns. Desks and workstations can be split up between rooms and reconfigured for special projects. These flexible, versatile furnishings can help a library host a town meeting one night and provide a teen gaming room another.

Whether you are just reconfiguring shelving, updating your color scheme or completely changing the focus of your library, a design service uses years of experience and knowledge for your benefit. They help with all aspects of the design process, including collaborating with architects and other designers, and coordinating deadlines for the delivery and installation of everything from the bookshelves to your circulation desk. Design teams guide you every step of the way, from idea to installation, to complete the right renovation for your library, on budget and on time.

Learn more about library layout and design services at Gaylord.com/LibraryDesign. Gaylord Bros.